‘He went from fixing buildings to building them’

Richard Schreiber, a longtime Hewlett Harbor resident and builder, passed away on Dec. 31. He was 85.

Schreiber was born in Manhattan and attended Andrew Jackson High School in St. Albans, Queens. He worked odd jobs for his father who was in real estate and then went to work for his brother who owned a steel company. “He went from fixing buildings to building them,” said Schreiber’s son Brett.

Schreiber built close to 1,000 homes in Nassau County; 700 homes in Oceanside for a development called Madison Homes as well as in Merrick, Florida and on the North Shore of Long Island. He also built four of his own custom homes in Hewlett Harbor, according to Brett. He lived in Hewlett Harbor for 45 years.

As an active member of United Jewish Appeal, B’nai B’rith, UJA Federation, Long Island Builders Institute and Long Island Antique Guns Association, Schreiber was very involved. ’“He was a very serious person and had so many hobbies,” Brett said. “He was a genius when it came to his collection of guns and was a real outdoorsman.”

Services were held on Jan. 3 at Union Field Cemetery in Ridgewood. Schreiber was interred at Union Field Cemetery.

He is survived by his children Susan and Jeffrey Cooperstock of Hewlett Harbor, Brett and Carol Schreiber of California and grandchildren Adam, Brandon and Chelsea. His wife Edith predeceased him.